Caption: Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) perched on a bare tree, while thousands of others flock behind them. The starling is highly gregarious, particularly in autumn and winter, and can form flocks of over one million birds. It is native to Europe and western Asia, with northern populations migrating south in winter. It feeds mainly on insects, hunting them on the ground, although it is an opportunistic feeder, and will eat a wide variety of foods.